DPL looks uncertain in October
Image : Cricfrenzy
|| CF Correspondent ||
The much-awaiting resumption talk of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) looks uncertain in October because of the Tigers’ upcoming international commitments, said Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials on Wednesday.
BCB officials like the CCDM last week said they are eyeing to host the DPL in October in a controlled environment but now that looked all but uncertain as the board is planning to send the High Performance (HP) squad and the national team during the period of time.
DPL was suspended in the third week of March in the aftermath of Round-1 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following the abrupt suspension, the bulk of the local players demanded to restart the league as DPL is the main source of income for the majority players of the domestic circuit.
The cloud of uncertainty is looming large over the future of DPL as the country is yet to reach a stage where it can resume its cricketing activities.
Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) officials earlier said that they are planning to resume DPL as soon as possible but now they are stating that it is very unlikely as clubs will not be willing to take part without 40 leading cricketers of the country.
After the announcement of playing DPL in a controlled environment, there were speculations that clubs were asked to send a 15-member squad to CCDM as they were planning to host the tournament, splitting teams into two groups respectively in BKSP and Cox’s Bazaar.
When CCDM member secretary Ali Hossain was asked regarding the development, he refused to accept it straightaway.
“We haven’t sent any letter to the clubs nor have we asked them anything verbally,” said Ali Hossain.
“We’re not sure when we can start the tournament. We’ll sit after Eid to make a decision about DPL,” he said, adding that he doesn’t feel that clubs will be ready to play the tournament without their key players.
“The HP and national team may go to Sri Lanka and if that is the case it will be very difficult [to resume league without key cricketers],” he said.
Recently, Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) requested the BCB to consult with the DPL clubs, and arrange at least 50% payment for the players because they also wants the resumption of DPL which is considered to be the major source of income for a large section of cricketers.
